Best Legal Software 2021

AbacusLaw vs. Clio Manage

Is AbacusLaw or Clio Manage the better solution for you? This in-depth, feature-by-feature breakdown will help you select the best legal practice management software to help grow your law firm.

Legal practice management software helps legal professionals automate key tasks, maximize billable hours, and grow their law firms. There are several legal practice management solutions on the market today which makes choosing the best solution a difficult process.

We created a guide comparing AbacusLaw versus Clio Manage, two popular legal practice management solutions, to accelerate the purchasing process. We discuss the differences in both products, and analyze their unique features, to help you choose the best tool for you.

Comparison Summary

We researched and extensively tested both AbacusLaw and Clio Manage. These are both popular legal practice management solutions with tens of thousands of customers each. Both solutions include features that help legal professionals automate tasks and grow their law firms. These features include contact management, a calendar, document management, time and expense tracking, and online payments. AbacusLaw received a SoftwarePundit Analyst Rating of 81 while Clio Manage received a rating of 90.

The biggest difference between these solutions are the features that they offer. AbacusLaw is an on-premise solution that offers built-in accounting and client intake forms. Clio Manage is a cloud-based solution that offers a high volume of integrations with third-party software.

Overall, we scored Clio Manage higher because its interface is far more modern and easier to use. Also, several customers we spoke to have had issues with AbacusLaw's customer support.


Here's a breakdown of our review criteria and how AbacusLaw and Clio Manage ranked in each category:

CriteriaAnalyst RatingFeaturesUsabilityPricingCustomer Support
AbacusLaw819787
Clio Manage9091089

When comparing the two, it's important to focus on the specific tools offered by each vendor, and the corresponding subscription price. Here's a quick test to determine which solution is best for you:

You'll prefer AbacusLaw if:

  • You desire an on-premise solution
  • You desire built-in accounting tools in your solution
  • You would like client intake forms as part of your base subscription

Try AbacusLaw Today

You'll prefer Clio Manage if:

  • You desire a cloud-based solution
  • You require a high volume of third-party integrations
  • You prefer a solution with a modern user interface

Try Clio Manage Today


Table of Contents

AbacusLaw & Clio Manage Price Comparison

AbacusLaw and Clio Manage are both subscription-based services that charge a monthly fee to access their platforms. AbacusLaw pricing starts at $69.99 per user per month. Clio Manage pricing starts at $49 per month and increases based on the subscription plan that you choose.

AbacusLaw Pricing Details

AbacusLaw pricing starts at $69.99 per user per month. If you would like to host AbacusLaw off-site on AbacusNext’s cloud servers, you can purchase a subscription to Abacus Private Cloud for an additional $250 to $300 per user per month.

Clio Manage Pricing Details

Clio Manage pricing ranges from $49 to $125 per user per month. The company offers a 8% to 22% discount for annual contracts that are paid upfront. Here’s an overview of Clio Manage’s pricing plans:

  • Starter plan: $49 per user per month
  • Boutique plan: $69 per user per month
  • Elite plan: $109 per user per month
  • Suite plan: $125 per user per month

AbacusLaw & Clio Manage Feature Comparison

AbacusLaw and Clio Manage are both robust solutions that offer the core set of legal practice management features. These features include contact management, a calendar, document management, time and expense tracking, and online payments.

There is an overlap between these two solutions, but there are several key differentiating features. AbacusLaw is an on-premise solution that charges an additional fee to use their cloud servers. Additionally, AbacusLaw includes built-in accounting and client intake forms in its base subscription. Clio Manage is a cloud-based platform that offers more integrations with third-party solutions than AbacusLaw.

For a full analysis of their features, read our AbacusLaw and Clio Manage reviews.

FeatureAbacusLawClio Manage
Cloud-basedAdd-onYes
On-premiseYesNo
DashboardYesYes
Contact managementYesYes
Client intake formsYesNo
CalendarYesYes
Task managementYesYes
Document managementYesYes
Time and expense trackingYesYes
Billing and invoicingYesYes
Online paymentsYesYes
AccountingYesNo
ReportingYesYes
IntegrationsYesYes

AbacusLaw's Unique Features

AbacusLaw offers several features not found in Clio Manage. It's important to understand the features below to determine if AbacusLaw is ideal for your business.

On-premise

AbacusLaw is an on-premise legal practice management solution. AbacusLaw is hosted on your own on-site servers, and managed entirely by your IT staff. In contrast, Clio Manage is a cloud-based solution that is hosted off-site on Clio’s servers. If you desire an on-premise solution, AbacusLaw is the best option for you.

Built-in Accounting

AbacusLaw offers a full accounting package on its platform. AbacusLaw includes a double-entry accounting tool that can be used to manage trust and operating accounts.

Although Clio Manage offers various accounting features, it relies on its integrations with third-party accounting software such as QuickBooks and Xero. If you prefer using a third-party accounting solution, Clio Manage is the better option for you.

Client Intake Forms

AbacusLaw includes client intake forms to help you capture and store essential client information. With intake forms, you can quickly record contact, matter, and case information for each client.

Client intake features are only found in Clio Grow, Clio’s client intake and CRM software. Clio Grow must be purchased separately from Clio Manage. If you are searching for an all-in-one solution that includes client intake forms in its base subscription, we recommend AbacusLaw for you.

Clio Manage's Unique Features

Clio Manage offers several features not found in AbacusLaw. It's important to understand the features below to determine if Clio Manage is ideal for your business.

Cloud-based

Clio Manage is a cloud-based legal practice management solution. This allows you to remotely access this platform on any supported device. Also, cloud-based servers do not require any maintenance.

You can host AbacusLaw on cloud-based servers through the Abacus Private Cloud. However, Abacus Private Cloud costs an additional $250 to $300 per user per month. Including this fee, AbacusLaw would be 3 to 4 times more expensive than Clio Manage. If you desire a cloud-based solution, we strongly recommend choosing Clio Manage.

Integrations

Clio Manage offers over 200 integrations with third-party solutions. In contrast, AbacusLaw offers less than 20 integrations on their platform. If you are searching for a legal practice management solution that will seamlessly integrate with your existing tech stack, Clio Manage is a much better option for your law firm.

For example, only Clio Manage offers integrations with QuickBooks and Xero. If your law firm uses one of these third-party accounting solutions, we strongly recommend Clio Manage. If you are looking for an all-in-one legal practice management solution that offers built-in accounting tools, AbacusLaw is the ideal choice for you.

Bottom Line

AbacusLaw and Clio Manage are two of the most popular legal practice management solutions on the market today. Both solutions are ideal for solo to medium sized law firms. Features found in these solutions include contact management, a calendar, document management, time and expense tracking, and online payments.

The best solution for your law firm will likely depend on your feature preference:

  • If you desire an on-premise solution that includes built-in accounting and client intake forms, then AbacusLaw is the best option for you.
  • If you prefer a cloud-based solution that offers a high volume of third-party integrations, then we strongly recommend Clio Manage for your law firm.

If you’re interested, visit AbacusLaw or Clio Manage today to get started.

Lloyd Park

Lloyd Park is a Research Analyst at SoftwarePundit, where he conducts in-depth analyses of software markets and products. Lloyd also has experience managing the development of software platforms and is an expert in content production & media software. You can connect with Lloyd on LinkedIn.

Lloyd is an expert in several software categories including:

  • Dental software
  • Email marketing software
  • Field service management software
  • Legal software
  • Property management software

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